The venue is Madison Square Garden a/k/a MSG a/k/a The Garden.
Through different locations and renovations, there have different versions of MSG - and the current one is Madison Square Garden IV
It is an arena that sits on top of Pennsylvania Station in mid-town Manhattan and hosts sports and entertainment events.
Concert capacity is 20,000.

Leonard Cohen last played at Madison Square Garden on October 23, 2009

Leonard Cohen is perhaps the finest fedora-wearer of our time—and a pretty good songwriter to boot. He also commands a monstrously suave stage presence these days, with a mix of powerful finesse and aged frailty that informs songs made all the more resounding by decades of existential familiarity. Along with his numerous classic songs—"Sisters of Mercy," "Bird on a Wire," "Chelsea Hotel No. 2," "Hallelujah"—the 78-year-old baritone has newer material from "Old Ideas," a recent album that finds him croaking and crooning with a voice haunted by time but wizened by a sense of being out within the world, and among adoring fans, once again. It's only been a few years since he returned to the performing life in earnest in 2008, and he remains no less welcome. (Also Dec. 20 at Barclays Center.)

Last edited by sturgess66 on Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

It’s a bit misleading to call Leonard Cohen’s recent shows “concerts.” Since his return to the stage in 2008, Cohen has been a deeply satisfying performer, in part by returning to his roots as a poet. (Remember that Cohen was a well-regarded writer abroad and at home, in Canada, before making his first album, at the age of thirty-three.) Nowadays, his band plays the music at such a low volume, always with deference to the vocals, that it seems more like a background scrim. You go for the words, and for the voice, which has become a gloriously low and striated thing. One line from “Tower of Song”—“I was born like this, I had no choice / I was born with the gift of a golden voice”—gets either a laugh, a round of applause, or both. His lyrics were as wise and funny as ever on this year’s “Old Ideas,” on which he moved further into his role as the anti-Dylan, describing what few truths he stumbles upon as simply as possible. Cohen’s recitations feel like religious ceremonies. That may not be an accident. He plays Madison Square Garden on Dec. 18 and the Barclays Center on Dec. 20. ♦

Legendary singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen will be gracing the stage at Madison Square Garden on December 18!

The North American leg of Cohen’s “Old Ideas World Tour 2012” follows on the heels of his previously announced European concert dates. The tour celebrates Cohen’s highly acclaimed twelfth studio album, Old Ideas. The album debuted at #1 across the globe, making it the highest charting album of his career. Tickets for the Canadian tour dates will go on sale starting Friday, May 11th and U.S. dates will go on sale starting Friday, May 18th. For updated tour information visit www.LeonardCohen.com.

Intro brings you the week’s hottest videos and shows every Monday. To catch up on all the Intros and watch classic Long Island music scene videos, check out Newsday Music’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/newsdaymusic.

I have been out of touch with you for awhile. Was at Beacon, Radio City, Garden, and Chelsea Hotel plaque unveiling. Am working in tall building in NYC and in between working, am consumed with the enticing magic of tonight's concert. Does anyone have an extra ticket for $50 or so? There are tickets available through Ticketmaster but are more than I can do. Am sweet and silly and would love to be there.

SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!
Was at last night's show. Wow. Send blessings and thanks to you all.

For the past week, was hearing passionate low growls and sweet la la la la las calling out, because knew what was coming to town. Today, a friend asked how the show was. Enthusiastic twinkly eyed report followed. She said was glad I made it back. Extremely difficult to contain myself. The passionate low growls and sweet la la la las are still with me today, but are now sounds of fulfillment and love.

This shall be a concert of a lifetime. Oh! To could drop everything etc.

I am so fed up with the word "fedora" in articles. It looks like they pass the hat to each others from concert to concert. It's like the word "palpable" that popped up in almost every article that I have read lately. Palpable. Fedora. Palpable. Fedora. Shake hand, pass the hat. But "fedora" is by far worst than "palpable" in term of time duration. Can't they take a new year's resolution and use the word "Stetson" a bit, for a change? Please Santa.

A "monstruously suave stage presence", now.

I like that.

***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Spectacular evening with Leonard in truly fine voice and enjoying his New York moments (First we take Manhattan, then we take ...Brooklyn). Band was outstanding. Even better than my last concert - the first Montreal one.

What an incredible night!
Here is the setlist (posted also in the Setlist thread):

New York City, December 18, 2012: Madison Square Garden:

Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
Who By Fire
Darkness
Ain't No Cure For Love
Amen
Come Healing
In My Secret Life
Thousand Kisses Deep (recited)
Anthem
===========
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Chelsea Hotel #2
Waiting For The Miracle
Show Me The Place
Lover Lover Lover
Democracy
Alexandra Leaving (Sharon Robinson)
I'm Your Man
Hallelujah
Take This Waltz
=======
1st Encore:
So Long Marianne
Going Home
First We Take Manhattan

2nd Encore:
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will (Hattie and Charley Webb)
Closing Time

Last edited by sue7 on Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

MSG gave LC and band a very warm welcome.
Fantastic night with wonderful energies and LC and band in great spirits -- he did some cute schticks on the keyboard during ToS (hope someone got it on tape..)

More thoughts and vid links later on.

Dick, sorry to have missed you- will look for you tomorrow to say hello.
--Sharon

Utterly wonderful!! Beyond words. I agree with what has been said. The Old Ideas songs seemed so good, so right. Show me the Place was extremely moving, as was Come Healing. But hard to single out too much. The concert was an immaculate, passionate, organic whole.

Thank you, Leonard, Sharon .. and all the Team!

And, thanks so much to the Forum for making it possible for me to attend and witness this.

We were also pleased that one of our heros......Bill Bradley, sat just a couple of rows in front of us.

For those not from around here, Bill was an amazing basketball talent who helped the NY Knicks to a couple of championships before becoming a very popular senator representing NewJersey. His seat was almost directly below his retired Knick Jersey. Like many fans, he took a few pictures of the stage!

Do look for us in Brooklyn Sharon. We will be first row mid arena bowl (section 8.)